Bewtiched
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: A Shibusen student MUST collect ninety nine souls of a pre-Kishin, and the soul of a witch, to forge a Death Scythe. Well, what happens when the witch isn't exactly a witch, and you start to fall for her? Soul Eater x-over NarutoxHinata. Fluff.
1. Prologue

**_Well, here it is! I've always wanted to write my own spinoof on a Naruto/Soul eater crossover. Don't worry, plenty of Naruto characters will show up! In addition to our favorite protagonist..._**

**_Prologue_**

"You're done." He breathed, looming over her like the god of death himself. His _majingari_, his majjin hunt, blazed blindingly bright in her eyes for a moment longer, before at last, it too faded away, leaving her with stinging spots of bright light across her eyes. "This fight is over."

"W-Why?" Cringing from a broken arm, she whimpered struggled to her hands and knees, amazed that she was still alive, much less breathing after an attack like that. Clearly he'd held back, but why? He'd nearly beaten her to a pulp, and yet now, he stayed his hand? Was this some kind of trick? Did he plan to have her grasp at hope, only to steal it from her fingers at the very last second? "Why are you letting me go?"

"You're beautiful." He answered simply, and she blushed hotly at this, staring up at him for a moment before she could adequately recover her senses.

"N-Nani?! What kind of answer is that?! That's not something you're supposed to say to your enemy!"

"Well, enemy or not, it's _my_ answer." He shook his head, sheathing his sword with one deft movement. "Looking at the world through the glasses of cynicism, it ain't something I do. It ain't happy, it ain't fun, it's sad; it ain't how I do business. The way I see it, a true witch, is ugly inside and out."

He looked her over appraisingly, nodded, and shouldered his blade, "Something tells me you're not like that. No, not like the witch I know, the one who's ugly inside and out. She's the one who'll make my sword...a deathscythe." With that, he began to walk off into the distance, but scarcely had he gone ten steps, then she shouted at his back:

"H-Hey! Wait a minute!"

He stopped in his tracks, his face slowly appearing over his shoulder as blue irises curiously regarded his once fallen opponent. A look of irritation crossed his eyes as they regarded the recovering witch behind him.

"Now what? You want my autograph or something?"

"U-Urusai about that already! Now....Y-Your name!" The witch sputtered a bit, tripping, fumbling over the right words as she struggled to right herself. "I said...T-Tell me your name, shibusen brat!"

"Eeeeh? Shibusen brat?" He quieried, tilting his head comically, displaying none of the raw, primal agression he'd displayed only minutes before. "Why should I do that, witch? What's in it for me, hmm?"

A flicker of killer intent darted in and out of her eyes, fading only as he tightened his hand on the pole of his sword. It was all too clear to whom he was referring, whom he intended to kill, in order to make that sword a deatchscythe.

Medusa.

"Uzumaki Naruto." He gave his name suddenly, unexpectedly, moving on without her. "Two star meister. Sword technician."

_'Th-This much power, and he's only a two star rank...?'_

"Oh yeah," He casually extended one hand to wave over his shoulder, "I removed that snake from your body, so that hebi-woman can't control or track you anymore," His gaze turned to meet hers just briefly as he finished. "You should be able to do whatever you what now, neh, Eruka-san?"

She, Eruka started violently at this, and quite frankly, he wasn't surprised when she ran after him, stumbling against the upturned, ashen roots of the great oak, under whose shadow their battle had concluded. "How do...How do you know my name?! And how can you just let me go?!"

"Jeez," He grumbled under his breath, trying his best to ignore her, and in failing to do so, tried to make it perfectly clear how irritating she was at this very moment. "You're a noisy one, aint'cha? I'll say it again, I let you go because you're not the one to make my sword a deathscythe. Can't say you're much of a witch either."

"EH?!" Fuming, Eruka stamped after him. "Are you making fun of me now?!"

"Nope." Ichigo drawled, not caring that she struggled to run up the hill after him. "Just your magic. I mean really, frogs and tadpole bombs? How's that supposed to stop anyone if they see it coming? You oughta be thankin' me for letting you go."

"Well...I won't thank you!"

"Didn't ask you to." He replied, disinterested, and trying to suppress his irritation. "Don't need you to."

Eruka eyed him warily.

"What makes you think I can trust you?"

"Weeeell," He chuckled, boarding the craft with a quick one two step. "Considering that you've already released the immortal known as Free, Maaba's probably after you, right? Medusa's gonna figure out you ditched sooner or later, anyways. That leaves two powerful witches hunting you, a mediocre witch at best."

She fidgeted a bit at this. True, Mabaa would put the pieces together, and Medusa, shrewd witch that she was, probably already knew of her impending thoughts concerning defection.

She didn't stand a chance against either of them. And yet, this man, standing before her, knew about, stood against Medusa. He might even be able to fight her to a standstill, until both sides were forced to call it a draw.

Scary, that he knew so much, and had such power.

He possessed the anti-demon wavelength, the incredible ability of instantaneous regeneration, something black blood was well known for, but she'd already seen him bleed. His blood was red, not black, something that made _no_ _sense_, but then again, if he was a meister, if that man had experimented on him, and who knew the full extent of _his_ abilities?

"What's your plan?" She wasn't exactly eager to get on the hover board. Once she did, there would be no turning back, she knew this, just by glancing at him, and his glowing blue eyes. "Your goal, what is it?"

"My goal?" He depressed the gas, and the engine revved, the board began to hum under his feet. "Simple, I intend," He extended a hand to her, a warm smile lighting his face for the first time during their brief, tumultuous scuffle. "To make a new world. A world where Meister's and witches co-exist."

Speechless. Eruka was simply struck speechless by his offer. What madness was this?! What kind of...What kind of fool would entertain such naivete?! Shibusen and the witch council had been enemies since the dawn of time, since their very founding!

And this one...he wanted to forge a _truce_?!

"Then...you intend to take me to Shibusen?" Now she took a small step back, her eyes hardening in defiance. "Ridiculous! As if I'd be caught dead going there! This world of yours, its for naive fools!"

His headset beeped then, and he placed a hand to it, turning slightly away from her as the voice buzzed into his ear. "Uzumaki. Ah, I see. Roger that. Yeah man, I'm on my way back now."

"Suit yourself." He gave a lighthearted shrug and revved the engine again, sparing her one last glance as the board began its tremulous ascent into the atmosphere." Well then, I wish you the best of luck, and I'll leave you to whatever it is you're planning on doing."

Gunning the engine, the hoverboard roared into the air, where it vanished into the distance.

"Ja ne!"

**Next time: A shy, pale eyed witch, and a blond, brash student. Don't worry, everything will be explained in the next chapter. Lets just say for now that our dear Naruto is a student at Shibusen! Flashbacks will be dotted out through each chapter, and for the sake of arguement, all of the Naruto cast dates from the Shipuuden era, meaning that they ain't youngin's!.**


	2. Witch

**_Sorry about the Ichigo typo! Too much Bleach on the brain as of late! Please review! I know alot of people aren't exactly fans of Soul eater/Naruto crossover fics, but this is NaruxHina goddmanit! So review!_**

**_Witch_**

Depressing his left heel, he cut the engines, jamming forward with his right in order to lessen the momentum he'd created from coming in at such a sharp angle. With a sputtering hiss, the board leveled out of its steep descent, allowing its rider to smoothly coast to the streets below.

Upon landing, he snapped his fingers and the board dissapeared with a swirl of wind.

"Are you sure that was wise?"

His sword pulsated a rich, navy blue for a moment, bursting away from his hand to take human form once more as it assumed the form of a young man with messy, dark brown hair, as well as pale skin and dark purple marks surrounding his eyes. He wore a long, white coat, with a thick, light purple, fur collar, and with his extremely long finger nails.

A few passerby stared at the odd sight of the duo as they strolled past.

"Muramsa." Naruto replied in greeting, hoping to assauge the stormy look his ally wore. "You're looking well."

His partner was in no such mood.

"If you intend to make me a deathscythe, you still need the soul of a witch."

"I know." Naruto replied as they made there way down the halls.

"Do you?" The weapon scowled, folding his arms into a circle, the scowl darkening ominously as they rounded a bend then skirted around a student couple who was currently sharing a heated embrace. "If so, then you've been giving me the wrong impression, sparing that last witch, and the one before that."

"Well, I don't want to kill just any witch. It's different than you think."

"Honestly." Muramasa abruptly froze in place."Then Just kill _that_ woman already and stop lazing about!" Muramasa abruptly lost his composure, his next sentence spilling out as a frustrated snarl. "One slice and it's over-rrgh?!"

The reason for his startled exclamation was the fact that Naruto had turned his attention away, and now towards an approaching figure, even going so far as to completely ignore his partner.

"Ohayo, Naruto-kun!"

"Oh, Ino-chan." He raised a hand in greeting as a girl in light purple clothes made her way through the crowd to him. As usual, she wore all purple, though this time her outfit consisted of a basic violet tank top and jeans, just enough to show off her body as always, and as usual, to earn several envious stares directed at her wasn't beside her, insead her meister followed to the left, but at a much more leisurely pace, like always.

As usual, Sasuke wore a white long-sleeved shirt which was open at the torso, with a smaller version of the his patented crest on his collar, black pants with a blue cloth hanging from halfway up his stomach to his knees, and though this time, he had forsaken the purple rope about his waist for a more conventional leather belt, clasped by a thin metal mesh, much like the fishnet Ino wore on her arms.

"Teme." Naruto greeted his rival with their traditional fist bump.

"Dobe." Sasuke replied, returning the gesture."So, how many do you have?"

"Ninety nine." Naruto grinned. "And you?"

"Eighty." Sasuke answered easily.

"Great, so you got the soul of a witch already?"

"I'm going on a mission for that right now. You?"

Naruto cringed at that, remembering all too well the reason he didn't have the soul of a witch yet.

"Erm...well...

_(Six months earlier)_

It had been a normal day, unlike any other.

It had started with the yelling.

"Na-ru-to!"

He started violently, his gaze swiveling to meet the speaker, a girl with bright pink hair, green eyes, and fair skin. Aside from the aformentioned characteristics, she wore her regular red shirt, with a light yellow shirt under it, and a navy-colored skirt, complete with sandals.

"Yo-

"Baka!"

Stars passed through his vision as a fist slammed into his face, then _he_ slammed into the wall.

"Oi! Hey-ow-ow-_ow!"_Naruto groaned, rubbing his head painfully, glaring angrily back at his attacker, who returned the glare tenfold. "Damnit Sakura-chaaan! What the hell was that for?!"

And Sakura, in case you hadn't already noticed was slightly different from most weapons, being in the fact that she had one helluva temper, as if this was not evident enough by the now near constant abuse of her partner.

"Why didn't you take me with you instead of that halfwit Muramsa?!" The pinkette fumed angrily, causing Naruto to blanch as she clenched her fingers and cocked her arm back again, ready to clock him should answer incorrectly. "What the hell were you thinking, just leaving me here, huh?!"

"W-Well, you see," Naruto scrambled back a bit, then tried to pick himself back up. "The mission came up really quickly and I didn't have the time to get you, and he was already with me so-Oi!"

He barely got his arms up in time to block her kick, and even then, he was sent sprawling into the nearby room. Scarcely had this occured, then Sakura resolutely marched in after him, ready to deliver another blow by the sharp sound of stone breaking beneath her fist.

"Naruto-kun!" Ino took a small step forward, only for Sasuke to grip her shoulder.

"Don't."

"B-But...!!"

"This is how they do things."

Indeed, this was Sakura's way of dealing with the crushing loneliness that came whenever her meister left her behind. He'd only done it once before, but even so, the pain that came with being useless to someone was unbearable.

She hoisted him up, her eyes narrowing dangerously as they beheld the unflinching visage of her partner. He could've easily fought back and subdued her, but he did not do so.

"Idiot."

He made no move to resist as she released her hold, only to glomp him fiercely.

"Don't you ever do that again, got it?"

"Got it." He nodded, returning the embrace for a moment before she playfully boxed him in the cheek.

"You're still an idiot."

His only response was to chuckle.

Ino sweatdropped as the two stepped back out of the hole in the wall, looking no worse for the wear. This hadn't been the first time Sakura had done this, and most likely, this wouldn't be the last, not if he kept forgetting about her like this.

Still, at this rate, Shibusen would be little more than a pile of rubble.

"Um...you do know you still have to pay for the damages, right, Sakura?"

You see, Muramasa was actually his second weapon. As rare as it was for one person to wield two weapons, Naruto Uzumaki was the exception in this case, as was Death the Kid.

Naruto however, had two _seperate weapons. _Ever since his second day here, he'd been a dual was actually his secondary weapon, whereas Sakura was his primary, and the one he wielded the most, with the exception of today, hence the head bashing. Eh, they didn't exactly get along _at the moment_, but really, they made a good team.

Still, despite her temper, despite her constant ire, despite her: '_I can't believe I got partnered with someone as idiotic as him instead of someone as awesome as Sasuke!' _attitude, the two were nigh inseperable.

"C'mon." Sakura grabbed Naruto forcefully by the wrist. "Shinigami-sama's waiting for us."

--

That was what led to the fateful mission.

"Stop him! Somebody stop him!"

"There's only one of him! He left his buddy at the entrance-g-gah!"

"G-Go get him! Don't let him enter the chamber!

"He's-He's-Nrgh?!"

"Don't let him near-GAH!"

"Stupid." Naruto grumbled, swatting aside another fanatic attacker, heaving him into his own comrades, who scattered for a moment, regrouped, then helped him to his feet. Naruto observed this for a moment, then had to give them credit. Not a single one of them had retreated, not unless he knocked them unconcious or damn near beat them so badly they couldn't get back up.

"For Hinata-sama, don't let him pass!"

"FOR HINATA-SAMA!"

Whoever this witch was, she must've been _really_ scary to inspire such loyalty in her men.

_Enough chit-chat Naruto! _Glancing down at his fist, he watched Sakura's reflection appear in his right arm. _Let's get a move on already!_

Transformed, Sakura was a pair of solid arm guantlets, hence the reason for her insane strength. When fused with Naruto, she molded onto his skin from his arms, forming the equivalent of armor. The seamless metal ran from his fingers to the shoulders, where two crooked vents were occasionally aligned, spouting azure flame on an almost constant basis.

Blue smoke meant she was relaxed, red smoke...well, it was pretty obvious what _that_ meant. As the crimson ash poured from the vents, he could easily sense her irritation.

_Go!_

"I _know damnit!" _He grumbled, gripping the huge chunk of rock that lay at his feet, his muscles swelling with the effort needed in order to perform such a feat. "You...don't have to tell me twice!"

Sapphire eyes narrowed as the remaining guards placed themselves between him and the door.

"Outta my way!

They didn't budge.

"Fine then."

Frowning, he released his massive payload, instead launching the oblong chunk of stone straight _through them_, spraying bodies and stone alike were it struck the ornate doors with an ominous crack, splitting them wide open with a dull clang.

One last swipe was all it took to finish the remainder of the men off, and then he strode into the darkened chamber. Surprisingly, it was very plain, even for a witch. There was a large bed in the middle of the room, a white dresser, and a crystal ball resting atop it.

_Don't focus on the surroundings, focus on the witch!_

"Oi!" He declared, stepping over the twisted frame of the door. "Where are you, witch girl?!"

Immediately, there came a reply to the left.

"I'm right here. Please stop hurting everyone."

Fearing an ambush, he leapt back a pace, but was surprised when no attack came.

"You...you are...?"

A young woman stepped into view, and immediately, he knew he'd found the witch. Her outfit consited of a black-blue dress that showed off her shoulders and wraped around her neck, long sleeves that hid her hands but revealed her shoulders shoulders, a long skirt with a white frill and long high-heeled boots that curled upwards at the toes.

Her eyes were that of pale lavender, no irises, nothing but saddend orbs that appeared resigned to their fate. She stared at him, sadly, her hands folded before her, but as she crossed the room, they unfolded, resting squarely over the shattered diaphragm of one of her subbordinates.

The man was badly wounded, he had seconds to live, at best.

"Hi-Hinata...sama...the man wheezed up at him, struggling for air, "P-Please, don't wasted your powers on me. S-Surely you'll...you'll be needing them to deal with the intruder."

"No." She shook her head quietly."You did your best, Neji nii-san. Now...just hold still."

"Heh." A faint smile crossed his lips, punctuated by a wheezing gasp as his ribs magically reset themselves, flesh flowing like water over the ripped and tattered muscle, replacing it with smooth, seamless skin. "My...greatest apologies then, lady Hinata." He collapsed shortly thereafter and lay still, his breathing coming in short, ragged gasps.

Giving a small sigh, she rose to her feet and stood firm. He braced himself, ready for any trick or spell she might throw his way. Strange, why hadn't she attacked him when his guard was down?

"Um...Taking a deep breath, she spoke, though with a slight stammer, unable to meet the burning intensity of his gaze. "I-I don't know who you are, but...you're here for my soul, aren't you?"

His eyes widened slightly in understanding. "So you know then. The answer is yes then. I'm here for your soul so I can make Sakura a Death Scythe." Flexing his wrists, a long, slender blade extended from the underside and topside of the arm. Their purpose was all too clear, but still, the witch did not falter.

"If I give it to you, will you stop hurting everyone?"

In that moment, his resolve faltered.

"What?"

She now got to her knees hands resting in her lap.

"If I let you kill me, then will you leave my friends alone?"

What indeed? What was this? Why did he feel a strange sense of regret, now of all times? He willed himself to finish it, to step forward and bring the blade down upon her head, thusly claiming her soul, yet his arm refused to move!

Was this...regret?

No!

Fifty of the ninety-nine souls were _theirs_, and this, the last soul, that of a witch, was about to become the most essential offering! Once Sakura ate this, he'd only have forty-nine souls to go, then she'd reach a whole new plateau of power!

"With this...with your soul...Sakura will become a deathscythe." He said this aloud, as if to reassure himself. He'd never felt a single sliver of sympathy for a witch before, but then again, he'd never seen a witch before.

Was a witch supposed to be this beautiful?

_Oh shit._

His eyes widened slightly at this logic, this new train of thought that was not supposed to be present within his thoughts. Where had that inlking of an idea come from? Was she trying to manipulate him? No, the look on her face was one of slight nervousness, yet complete and utter peace.

She was resigned to die, so why try to persuade him otherwise. This was a good thing. Many a meister would leap at this chance. Maka and Soul, Sasuke and Ino, any other meister would gladly take this chance.

So why couldn't he?

Why couldn't he get the thought of her eyes, her face, everything else about her...out of his head?

_Naruto..._Sakura warned quietly, _This is dangerous thinking that you're doing. Don't let her appearance deceive you. Maybe she hasn't come under the sway of magic yet but still...she IS a witch._

"I know." He grumbled, his hand trembling suddenly, inexpliably. "It's just that I...I...

Hinata closed her eyes and turned her head away.

"Please, just make it quick."

_Naruto! Resonance of souls! NOW!_

"Tamashi...no kyomeii." He whispered, their wavelength surging intensely, clasping his hands and the wrist blades dissapeared, melding themselves together into a large ornamental scythe, that had a green eye at its black edge, and a white, sharpened point.

It sputtered and hissed, a result of his wavering confidence.

_Just close your eyes and look away! I'll handle the rest!_

"Majingari!" He screamed, bringing the blade down with all his might. There was an intense flash of light, then something threw the two of them back into each other with such force that the explosion nearly brought the chamber down around them.

"Impossible!"

His gaze whipped down to see Sakura, back in human form now, her back against him. That wasn't what scared him, what scared him was that she was staring helplessly at the smoking crater they'd made with the majingari.

He gaped back, unable to believe what he'd just done, what had just happened. The majingari had connected, but Hinata remained there on her knees, unharmed, albeit a little confused.

"N-Nani? Why are you on the floor like that?"

It made no sense. The majingari destroyed, purged, all evil, and harmed not the innocent. A witch could not be innocent. Such a thing was unheard of, even without falling under the sway of magic.

_I can't._

Despite his resolve to make Sakura a death scythe, he could not do it.

_In the end, I couldn't kill her after all. _He realized as he and Sakura locked eyes, each dumbfounded by this occurence. A witch whom the majingari, their best technique, could not harm. Each shared only one thought at this sudden anomaly.

_What am I gonna do?_

**_Next time: Repercussions._**


	3. Repercussions

**_Please review! I know alot of people aren't exactly fans of Soul eater/Naruto crossover fics, but this is NaruxHina goddmanit! So review! And yes, this is a flashback, as Naruto is currently recalling how he got himself into this mess._**

**_Repercussions_**

"S-Sakura...

"I-I can't believe it." She jerked her head around, more offended, then surprised that her attack had failed to connect. "She's still there." He knew this well, for he'd seen this expression, many, many times. He could tell this by the way her lower lip jutted out in a slight tremble, punctuated by a frustrated stamp of her leg.

He gripped her shoulder and shook his head.

A true meister/weapon partnership, where they could reach other like a book.

"Y-Yeah."

"Oi, teme!" Sakura called out, surprising him as she pushed off his chest, and all but lunged to her feet, crossing the red carpet that led to the now ruined bed, seizing the witch by her collar, dragging her to her feet. "You _are_ a witch, aren't you?"

"H-Hai."

"EH?! Don't you lie to me! You must've used some sort of magic just now, right?!"

"Um...no?"

"I said don't lie!"

Why didn't the _majingari_work?! She'd just admitted to being a witch, she hadn't used some kind of defensive spell, so why?! Why was she still alive! Their majingari should have worked! A witch was evil by nature, sway of magic or not! They all were!

"Sakura-chan."

"Oi its about damn time, Naruto!" She whirled on, glad to see that he'd at last decided to get up out of the humiliating position the explosion had thrown him into. "What were you _doing_, just sitting around like that?!"

Shaking the dust and dirt off his clothes, Sakura noticed something.

"Thinking." He replied quietly, dusting himself off. "I've been doing a lotta thinking lately."

His typical clothing, the dark colored dress pants, sandals and long black coat on his shoulders, were badly ripped, yet he looked as if someone had just knocked him flat on the ass, rather than being scalded and burned by the explosion The unkempt red leisure shirt he usually wore, wasn't in much better shape either, the buttons running down the middle having been ripped apart during the explosion.

But he wasn't even _hurt_.

How could that be?

Frowning, he approached Hinata as well.

"Using me as shield, to negate the damage, huh?" Sakura remarked icilly, noting the own burns upon her forearms and legs, whereas he had absolutely none, unless you counted his outfit. "That's not very nice."

"Huh?" Naruto scratched the back of his head, dislodging a few pebbles from the rough shocks of blond hair. "What're you getting at? I was the one who shielded _you, remember?_ Don't be stealing my spotlight now, ya hear?"

Sakura rewarded him with a rueful. slightly sardonic smile.

"Watch it, Naruto, you're starting to sound like Black Star."

"Blech." He made a face at that. "Sakura-chan, _that_ wasn't very nice."

"Ano...if your not going to kill me...then could you put me down, please?"

"Eh?" Sakura looked like she was about to slug Hinata for saying that. "Who said we were done with you? We still need to take your soul, remember?"

"Sakura."

"Yeah?"

"Don't touch a hair on her head." Naruto didn't know why he said what he'd just said, but it was too late to take them back. The words were already out there, and the look of surprise that dawned on Sakura's face was eclipsed by the brief flicker of relief that passed through Hinata's eyes.

That expression was eclipsed by anxiety as Sakura abruptly dropped Hinata , and turned to face her meister.

"What's wrong with you?"

"N-Nothing."

"You're lying." Sakura warned, slightly hurt that he was keeping secrets again. "C'mon Naruto, this isn't like you. I thought we agreed we'd never lie to each other. If something's bothering you about this witch, then just say it. "

"It's not that, its just...I...

_Soul protect. Release._

The word's died in his throat, his head snapped up as the wavelength hit them. To say that it was massive was an understatement, it filled the whole city in an instant, resonating just above the bloody, grinning moon.

As Hinata peered into the skies, she too felt the sinister energy.

"This is...

"Another witch." Naruto muttered, glaring at the source of the wavelength.

Greeaaaat.

"Me-Medusa...sama.... Hinata slumped to her knees, her eyes widening with the raw terror that came from the malevolent wavelength said witch was broadcasting all over Europe.

_'Medusa?'_

She sat there, atop her broomstick, her face hidden in a black cowl, her wide grin barely even visible from this altitude. Her soul was a harsh violet, arrows exuding from its core in a swaying motion, as if blown by the wind, arriving with her voice.

"Uzumaki Naruto, and Sakura Haruno." She began, raising her arms in a swaying, undulating motion. "The second strongest student and weapon meisters in Shibusen. I must say, your record is nothing short of impressive. You've handled yourselves rather well."

There was no doubt in his mind this woman was evil. She was powerful too, but they'd been up against powerful enemies before, so Naruto didn't really see the problem here.

"Thanks." Naruto jabbed a finger up at her, well aware of the chant she was working on, and prepared to deal with her before she could launch whatever spell she had planned. "Now, if you're done talking, I'll be taking your soul instead of this one's."

"Oh?" She replied, raising her palms forward. "I'm afraid I can't allow that. You see, I'm here to retrieve Hinata. Though I did notice you're precious weapon couldn't harm a hair on her head."

_'What?'_

"Too bad, shibusen boy." She sneered from within the confines of her cowl. "For all your wit and bravado, it would seem that you still have a soft spot for beautiful women. Interesting."

"OI! I do not-

_Naruto, she's coming!_

"Vector Arrow!"

He tried to conceal the surprise and irritation as thousands of arrows erupted from her back, each arcing towards him, a missile of death, but to hide his expression was moot and pointless now. He whipped his head around, only to see Hinata be snatched up by a serpentine extension, then summarily dragged up to her waiting comrade.

_'Damnit,' _He swore beneath his breath. There was nothing more he could do in that regard, unless he were to suddenly grow a pair of wings, there was no way for him to pursue them. No use dwelling on it now.

_'Sakura!'_

_On it!_

With a brilliant swell of pink light, Sakura morped back into weapon form, molding against Naruto's arms and hands, the palms of which slapped themselves together, the fingers clasping tightly into a fist.

_"Tamashi no Kyomeii." _He chanted, their scythe taking shape once more, by the cloth until the blade once more took on a deep, crimson hue, bending, twisting into the distinctive shape of a jagged scythe.

The witch looked on in mild interest. So this was a witch-hunter. It'd been quite awhile since she'd actually seen one up close, and she was pleased to see that the technique hadn't changed any since she'd gone into hiding.

Wait, no...this _was_ different.

_"Majingari."_ Naruto breathed, snapping the pole, weapon and all, into the air as he spurred himself forward with a mighty leap. The vector attack, arrows and all, disintegrated under the intense heat of the axe like scythe, withering away as the attack continued its righteous arc, lunging into the air after the fleeing witch, who actually had to swerve to the right to get out of range.

For a brief moment, he caught a glimpse of her face, and in that instant, his reflexes dulled, his eyes widening in horrified surprise. This woman, sitting atop the broomstick, he'd seen her before!

"You?! But you're-

"Vector Arrow!" She hissed, and a dozen coiling black arrow vines slammed into his midsection. He had just enough time to scream in frustration, then they pummeled him away from her, and towards the ground below, which had become little more than upturned stones during his unwarranted invasion here.

And yet...

Surprisingly, his landing was rather soft. Squinting his eyes, he found that he was unharmed. _That_didn't make sense either. He'd been expecting a hard, bonejarring, back-breaking impact, but this, it felt like landing in a mountain of pillows, not rough, uncomprimising stone.

Twisting his neck to get a better view, his eyes widened in disbelief.

This _was_ a pillow!

He'd landed in a gigantic fluffy white pillow! Beneath him the sharp stones still lay, but this conjurred pillow appearing from nowhere, had spared him a week in the hospital.

But pillows didn't just fall out of the sky, so where had this one come from? What kind of crappy magic only created pillows?

Was it that other witch? Did she do this?

Returning his gaze to the sky, he saw the distant speck that was Hinata. Unbeknownst to him, she lowered her hands and slump her shoulders, as if she were giving a heavy sigh of relief. No way, he thought at first as he recognized the feel of magic being used. Why would a witch save the same person that had come to kill her?

He didn't have time to dwell on this however, as another storm of vector arrows swarmed him, shredding the pillow beneath his feet as he rolled away, smacking into the ground, then on his feet again.

"You're not getting away!"

"Leave her."

"What?!" Enraged, Naruto slowed, stumbled, and whirled around to face Stein and Spirit-sensei. He knew the latter had been the one on the outside, delaying the enemy's forces, but why had they come inside-

Oh.

One look on the doctor's face, and it was all too clear that the educator had decided they would be leaving. "Sensei, you can't be serious?! I can catch her, just let me-

"And what then?" Stein interrupted coldly. "What happens when you catch up to her? Did it ever occur to you that she might be baiting us, that she might want us to follow her?"

"But I-

"Imbecile!" Naruto flinched, his eyes widening under Stein's harsh rebuke. "For all you know, this could be a trap! What good will your power be when you find yourself surrounded by a conven of witches, huh?!"

"Tch." Naruto glared at him coldly, suddenly angry. "I could take them."

"Fool." Spirit finally spoke, shaking his head, the usual goofy tone he displayed around Maka, nowhere to be seen. "You're powerful, but your own arrogance will be your undoing."

Naruto jerked his head back, the blade rushing harmlessly overhead. It was Spirit-sensei, he realized, face creasing murderously at the notion that he'd nearly been beheaded by one of his teachers.

"Oi oi! What was that for-nrgh."

Stein suddenly lashed out with his arm, the side of his hand knifing into the blonde's neck, right beneath his left ear. Naruto's eyes immediately rolled up into the back of his head as his knees gave out, his body crumpling limply to the sand. Spirit took a step towards the meister and looked down, a small curve if displeasure upon his lips.

"Sorry," he said as he reached down and grabbed onto the unconscious teen's body, hoisting it up and onto his shoulder before turning back to the entrance

"But we needed to knock you out one way or another."

--

_(Elsewhere, several hours later)_

"And stay in there!"

Hinata was thrown into her room, violently so, when they locked the door behind her. As the shadows crept in, she struggled to her feet, ran to the center of the room, and flung herself onto the mattress.

Quietly, she pulled the pillow to her chest and stifled a small sob, hoping that no one could hear her in the darkness. Was that boy alright, had he survived? She'd lost sight of him after Medusa-sama had launched that last attack, and now, she was losing precious sleep over it. She couldn't understand it. Why had she saved that boy, when he'd clearly intended to kill her? And why, for that matter, had he let her live?

He'd faltered, he'd hesitated, and as a result, she had to deal with this horrible mess.

Why?

Medusa-sama. She was absolutely terrified of her, and her daughter, Chrona. But Medusa-sama really, _really_, scared her, so why had she blatantly saved a meister when the latter could see her deed? Everyone had been giving her the evil eye ever since she'd been spirited back here, as if they weren't her friend anymore.

"Why is everyone being so mean to me?" She choked back another sob and was about to burry her head in the pillow, when the door to her chamber opened with an ominous creak. A man with long brown hair, the same pale eyes as her, and a kindly smile, entered, cradling a book under his right arm, and a plate of levitated sush on the other.

"Hinata-sama, I've brought you that book you requested yesterday." He saw the way her eyes strayed to the food, and restrained a small chuckle. "Ah, this? Sorry, but sushi was the only sustenance I know how to cook.

"Oh, Neji-nii-san!" A rare, genuine smile lit her face as she saw that her cousin and steward was up and about again. "Are you alright? Y-You're not hurting anywhere, are you?" Thanks to him, life here was somewhat tolerable, even with everyone treating her like a little fledgling, and she wanted to make sure he wasn't being quiet when he was really in pain again.

"Iie, Iie," He began, setting the food down on the table, and the book in her lap, where the letters EIBON could be read. "I am quite alright thanks to Hinata-sama."

Following this, he gave he returned her embrace, then frowned at her expression.

"Something troubles you."

...Yes." She relented. Neji always saw through to her, he always knew what was on her mind. "Its about the sway of magic. Why hasn't it affected me yet? I-It's not that I _want_ it to, but-"

She'd seen what'd happened to Eruka once the sway of magic had affected her. Honestly, she wanted nothing to do with that, and maybe that was why, considering her only real skills were in healing magic, sight, and hand to hand combat, everyone shunned her.

"M'lady shouldn't worry about that." Neji replied solemnly. "Regardless of what Medusa says of you, the sway of magic is something you should be very grateful to have avoided."

Hinata took this in for a moment, her fingers brushing over the book's spine. "So this is it then...the book of Eibon?"

"Hai."

"In that case....Neji, do you think you could deliver a message to that meister for me? I'd...like to ask him something."

"As you wish."

--

As soon as he got up, as soon as the he knew something was wrong.

Namely the fact that he was back in his room, and his head hurt like hell. The memories of last night's incident came crashing down upon him, labeling him with failure and regret.

"Damnit, Stein!"

However, his mind soon moved on to another, more pressing matter.

He couldn't keep himself from thinking about her, that witch that he'd failed to kill. She'd appeared in his dreams last night, and to be honest, the content of those treams truly frightened him. It wasn't that he'd experienced a nightmare, though that would've been preferable to the explicit content contained within his head as of last night.

Naruto yawned and stretched his arms above his head clasping his hands together as he leaned forward to stretch out his back. He responded the sun's manic grin with a more subdued lopsided smirk of his own, swinging his legs out of the bed and standing tall before reaching down to stretch his legs out. After which went about the business of showering, hoping that the cool water would cleanse his thoughts.

"Ohayo."

Thinking it was Sakura, he shrugged. She must've forgotten her toothbrush or something. Thinking nothing of it, he disrobed, throwing his ripped and tattered attire aside, until he was left in his blue boxers.

"Would you mind if I took a shower with you?"

"Haha, very funny, Sa...kura..He froze when he felt a pair of hands, that weren't his grip the elastic waistband. His gaze swiveled to the mirror, and his throat went dry.

"Fuck!" He started violently, his hands scrambling backwards to find a handhold. "W-What the hell're you doing here?!"

There she was, that witch from last night, standing beside him in the mirror! However, all her clothing was gone, and she'd wrapped herself in nothing but a towel, which didn't help any, considering it allowed him to notice her curvaceous figure.

"I came to take a shower with you course!" She cooed, her tone suddenly becoming more sultry as she pressed herself against him from behind, now suddenly present here as well. He could feel her lips, brushing against his ear when next she spoke, "After all, I'm feeling very, very....dirty right now."

"You can't be here." He insisted. "This isn't possible."

Her fingers splayed across his bare chest teasingly.

"Oooh...you're so warm. So then, how about that shower?"

When he reopened his eyes, she was no longer there. Just an out of breath reflection, that was panting heavily, as if he'd nearly had a heartattack, which, considering what he'd just seen, was likely.

Sinking down against the countertop, he pressed a hand to his face.

_'What the hell was that? It's never been this bad before...'_

Now he was hallucinating, imagining that beautiful women wanted to take showers with him?

Lovely.

Seeking to put the eerie, yet provocative sight out of his mind, Naruto didn't look in the mirror again, set the shower to cold, and jumped in, ignoring the yelp that involuntarily ripped past his lips.

"Brrr! It's cold! So...you like cold showers then!"

_'Kami!' _He swore, feigning ignorance as he felt a very wet, very naked body, pressed up against him, and a pair of lips planting delicate kisses across his jawline, before seeking out his lips. Fearing what he might find should he open them, he kept his eyes closed, ignoring the sounds, the sensations, and fumbling blindly for the first thing within reach.

In this case, a bottle of shampoo.

"Get lost!" He snarled, flinging the bottle at where the witch should be, only to find the plastic container flying through empty space, smashing into the tiled wall instead, spilling its contents upon impact.

Snarling, he hastily washed himself down, and all but leapt out of the shower.

No more illusions at present.

As he exited the bathroom, he sought to get himself dressed as quickly as humanly possible. To his dismay, the apparition now returned to assail him, just as he slipped on a pair of jeans.

"That really looks good on you, handsome. But shouldn't you wear something...tighter?"

_'It's not real...It's not real..._

"Oh, I know! How about a jumpsuit!"

_'Not real..._

"Something orange and black maybe, yeah, it'd look great on you!"

_'Damnit!'_

"What the hell are you?!" He roared, swiping at empty air for the second time. "What the hell do you want from me?!"

"You've been infected by madness." She reappeared now with another giggle, this time thankfully clothed, wearing a black halter top and a plain denim miniskirt. "It's funny, really. Now that you've encountered Medusa-sama, your mind won't last much longer."

He cringed as he slipped on a new outfit, which was actually just a replacement of yesterdays. This outfit was his favorite, and unless Sakura forced him to shop for new clothes, he wouldn't be seen wearing anything else.

Yes, Sakura, his partner. Try to focus on that, he told himself, and maybe it'll all go away.

She followed him as he sifted through the coat rack.

"It should be interesting to see how much longer you last, once her plans come to fruition."

It wasn't until he was in the process of donning his coat that he realized that there was something else, aside from the hallucinations, different about this morning's routine. He hurriedly thrust his arms into the sleeves of the his shirt, shouldering the jacket as he turned to face the door. He waited for about thirty seconds before raising an eyebrow at the situation.

"Oi, Sakura, you in there?"

"Sakura? You mean that bitch of a partner whose always hitting you?"

"URUSAI!" He bellowed, clasping both hands over his ears. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

"Guess I've harassed you enough." She muttered with a somewhat bored expression. "Oh well, I'll let you be..._for now."_

When he turned around, she was gone. Trembling slightly, he started on his way towards the stairs when he noticed something else: there was no scent of breakfast in the air. Sakura never missed out on a hearty early morning breakfast. That was just how she did things. Then again, a change of pace every now and then wasn't bad.

Naruto continued to think this until he got down to the empty and pristine kitchen, no noticeable signs of Sakura's presence in sight. The clock read eleven a.m, and he realized she'd already left, and he...

_Was late._

So why?

Why was he thinking about doing _that_, with...with...

What was her name again?

He felt a faint tinge of distress, fearing that he'd forgotten it. It'd started with the letter H, he told himself, and his fear lessened somewhat as he desperately racked his brain for the name.

Ah, Hinata.

Relieved, he forgot about the small smile he'd been wearing ever since he got up, and the demented routine he'd just been through, his thoughts constantly straying back to the pale eyed beauty who smelled of lavender.

Upon realizing this, he forced himself to frown. Even if it was some sort of curse, some spell that was messing with his emotions, toying with his sensibility, he was loathe to see the nurse at the moment. In his current mood, he might just kill her, regardless of the consequences that would come with slaying an 'innocent nurse.'

Mumbling many a curse under his breath, Naruto stalked out the door.

"You look frazzled, Naruto."

Those ruminations would have to wait, however, as Naruto caught sight of none other than Sid-sensei and Stein-sensei waiting out in front of the apartment he shared with Sakura, a serious expression apparent on his visage.

Naruto gave the zombie a slightly irritated glare in return. "What makes you say that?"

"Rings under your eyes," Sid noted gleefully. "Nope, never a good sign."

"Didn't sleep well." Naruto replied, glaring meaningfully at Stein, the irritation slowly seeping out of his expression when the good doctor made no such aforementioned retort.

"Anyways...Am I late?" He asked warily, still on guard, for fear of another head bashing.

"Yes," Sid replied with a small frown, ushering the youth inside,"but _you_at least got here before Black Star. "Now, get to the death room straight away. Shinigami-sama wants to speak with you....

--

"What's up with you?" Sakura's voice spooked him slightly, as she was waiting for him once he opened the door to Shinigami-sama's room. finally asked as they walked under the countless archways that led to the death room. "Your wavelength, your breathing, even your pace, its been all wrong ever since we met that witch."

"I'm just in a bit of a slump right now." He replied, trying to forget the horrendously erratic events of this morning. "I didn't think we'd encounter a witch that powerful."

"You're lying." She challenged him again. "I can tell something's bothering you."

"No, I'm not." He insisted once more. "I don't have anything to hide-

"Naruto," Her gaze softened, her tone lowered to barely a whisper, and this unusual occurrence gave him pause. "We may not get along sometimes, but still...You can tell me anything, you know that right? Whatever you say, I won't breathe a word of it to anyone."

"There's...nothing to tell." He walked past her, leaving her to wait beneath the last archway.

She watched him go sadly, her shoulders sagging as he approached Shinigami-sama, who bid him to sit at the nearby low table, there-by inviting him to share a cup of tea with his Reaperness.

"Why won't you trust me?"

--

"Shinigami-sama, why am I here?"

"I hear you failed to kill your witch." The death god raised the glass to his visage and took a long sip of his tea, leaving Naruto to wonder once more just how the man could drink while wearing that ridiculous mask of his. "Is something bothering you, Naruto-kun?"

"No." He replied, not realizing his mistake.

"Ooooooh?" The teacher tilted his head slightly the left, as if he were confused. A strange gleam shone in the eyes behind the mask, leaving Ichigo with the distinct feeling that he was in a load of trouble. "Are you _suuuuure_about that, Naruto-kun?"

Shaking it off as nothing, the blond shook his head anew, unaware of the fact that Shinigami-sama had slowly begun to raise his right hand, the fingers tightening into a solid edge."It's like I said, I'm fine, really-

Without mercy, the hand descended rapidly.

"SHINIGAMI CHOP!"

"Gah!" Naruto yelped, pain exploding in his skull with such force that he actually fell back on his ass, wondering what had just happened. He soon found the source of his pain, for Shinigami now pulled an arm back into his robes, leaving Naruto to rub his sore and bruised cranium, trying to blot out the stars spraying across his vision from the direct chop to his nogin.

"OW! What the hey?! Why diddya hit me?!"

"Oh?" Shinigami took another sip of his tea, raised his hand again, the circular eyes in his mask slightly narrowing, whether it was in amusement or ire, he couldn't tell, what with that ridiculous goofy voice and the mask hiding his face. "Are you saying you'd like to see my "Direct Noggin Shinigami Chop" again, Naruto-kun?"

"N-No!" The student sputtered, waving his hands frantically as he tried to put some distance between him and another headbashing. "I-I get it! I'm good! I swear! You don't need to show me that move again!"

"Oh, that's good!" Shinigami declared gleefully, earning a sweatdrop from the blond. "Then we can get back down to business!"

"Business?" Naruto frowned, reaching for his mug. "Are you saying, you have another mission for me, Shinigami-sama?"

"Mmm!" The reaper nodded. "A very important mission!"

"Well?"

"Well what?" Shinigami tilted his head.

"The mission damnit!" Naruto snarled thunderously, slamming his hands down upon the table, nearly jolting the tea out of his cup. "What's the friggin mission?!"

"Oh, _that_ mission!"

"Yes, _that_ mission!" Naruto snapped back. "What the hell is it?!"

"The demon sword, Muramasa has been causing trouble in Joel village as of late." Shinigami's eyes narrowed suddenly. " This needs to be investigated. Seems he's been devouring human souls lately, and is dangerously close to becoming a kishin. I'd like you to handle this."

"Demon sword? As in a demon weapon?"

"Mmm. Kid-kun will give you a lift, there but then you'll be on your own."

"A-Arigatou." Naruto mumbled quietly. "Shinigami-sama."

"Oh and by the way...if you fail this lesson...

"Huh?"

"You will be expelled."

Without another word, Naruto trudged down the steps leading to the exit, where he appeared to speak with Sakura, then the two set back out, shuffling through the archways. Shinigami stared after him, until he could no longer see the boy or his partner in his vision.

_'Hmm...something's shaken Naruto-kun up, but what could it be..._

_--_

**_Next time: Muramasa. The blade of madness and bloodshed._**


End file.
